The 2010 Team USA Collegiate Baseball Team

Early in July, while the other summer leagues prepared to round the corner on one half of their season, the king of all summer baseball leagues was holding their tryouts. Team USA baseball put together two collegiate teams simply identified as Team Blue, and Team Red. It was a 6 game trial of the best college players in the country. In total, 38 non draft eligible college players were invited to the camp in Cary North Carolina. The goal was to secure a 22 man roster that would begin its international play against Korea Republic on July 14th. Manager Bill Kinneberg was at Utah University this past spring, but this summer he will be managing and at the controls of a team filled with some of the best Division 1 baseball talent. The 10 man pitching staff is composed of all sophomore and freshman pitchers that responded with complete maturity for their schools this past spring: TEAM USA PITCHERS:

Starters

Noe Ramirez – Fullerton. So

Tyler Anderson – Oregon So

Gerrit Cole - UCLA So

Kyle Winkler - TCU So

Sonny Gray - Vanderbilt So

Sean Gilmartin - Florida State So

Relievers

Scott McGough – Oregon So

Nick Ramirez - Fullerton So

Brett Mooneyham – Stanford So

Brian Johnson - Florida Fr

Matt Barnes - UCONN So

Only 3 catchers were invited to the trials, and only 2 were to be selected. Arizona University’s Jett Bandy had an amazing spring where he batted .354, with 6 homeruns, and 42 RBI’s. But, at the end, Bandy was cut, and two other catchers earned the honor of playing for Team USA. TEAM USA CATCHERS:

A total of 7 infielders were invited to the trials including one utility infielder/outfielder. The three that didn’t make it were TCU’s Taylor Featherstone, LSU’s Austin Nola, and Cal Poly’s Matt Jensen. With the final cut being so competitive, we must appreciate those who will don the USA jerseys. TEAM USA INFIELDERS:

Nolan Fontana – Florida Fr

Brad Miller - Clemson So

Anthony Rendon – Rice So

Ryan Wright - Louisville So

Drew Maggie - Arizona So

The outfield requires a skillful balance of speed, glue in the glove, and the instincts to read the ball off the bat the moment it’s hit. Not to mention a good command of the stick. Three very talented collegiate outfielders had the pleasure of being invited to the trials, but then the disappointment of also being sliced from the team. Georgia University’s Zach Cone, Alabama’s Taylor Dugas, and Kansas State’s Nick Martini were sent home after the trials. TEAM USA OUTFIELDER:

Jackie Bradley Jr. – Southern Carolina So

Allan Dickerson – Indiana So

Mikie Mahtook - LSU So

George Springer – UCONN So

Team USA will travel through North Carolina playing a couple games against some New England Summer League teams, then it’s on to Omaha, and Taiwan. Team USA plays the first game of the FISU Championships in Tokyo against Sri Lanka on July 30th. I’m not against soccer and their patriotic approach with the World Cup, but let’s not forget that baseball is also an international competition with a world stage.